A Verb is a word that shows action or a state of being.

Action Verbs (AV) express physical or mental action.

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dreaming

running

dance

studied

thinking

vote

The batter is hitting the game winning homerun.

The batter thinks about winning the

game.

A linking verb (LV) is a verb that expresses a state of being. A linking verb connects, or links, the subject to a word or word group that identifies or describes the subject.

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am has been may be

is have been can be

are had been should be

was will be might be

were would have been

Most of the other linking verbs are

related to your five senses

sound

appear, become, seem, look

smell

taste

touch, feel, remain

The music sounds loud.

The man seems irritated.

The flower smells fragrant.

The apple tastes delicious.

The Girl Scout feels sad because no

plants are growing at Camp Green Lake.

The cookie smelled delicious!

Caveman smelled the cookie.

LV

AV

Linking verbs link the cookie to a word in the predicate.

When the cookie is the subject, it is not performing an

action and is not able to smell, taste, touch. However . . .

When the sentence is about someone eating, smelling, or

tasting the cookie, there is action being performed. The

verb is then an action verb.

I smelled the chocolate chip cookies

baking in the kitchen.

My little brother appeared at the

kitchen window and stole a cookie.

The cookie tasted gooey because it came

straight from the oven.

The cookie he ate appears to be

underbaked.

AV

AV

LV

LV

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A helping verb helps the main verb

express action or a state of being.

A helping verb can help either an

action verb or a linking verb!

Santa Claus is helping

himself to the cookies!

am is are was

were do does did

done has have had

be been being shall

will could should would

can may

Santa is checking his list twice. I

know that you are hoping that you

are on the good list, but the list does

appear to be pretty short this year.

You might have been left off of the

list! The letter that you wrote could

have been lost in the mail.

Christmas might be looking pretty

grim for you.

A verb and all of its helpers is called a

verb phrase.

Clint’s plane is tumbling over

the Virginia falls.

Unfortunately things might have been different if the

engine had not died.

Always remember NOT is NOT a verb

AV

LV

Verb phrases are often interrupted by an adverb.

The engine of the plane will usually start.

Usually the engine of the plane will start.

Will start is the verb phrase; the

adverb does not change the facts!!!!

The time expressed by a verb is called its tense.

There are three basic tenses:

present, past, and future

Today I walk to school. (present)

Yesterday I walked to school. (past)

Tomorrow I will walk to school. (future)

.Every Verb has four basic parts,

which are called its principal parts.

call calling called (have) called

Infinitive present participle past past participle

The dog peers out of his doghouse.

He is peering at the boy who stole his bone.

He has peered at the boy long enough.

To get his bone he will chase after the boy who

is hiding in the bushes.

Irregular Verbs do not change tense by adding ed.

Here is one example:

Be care; do not break your glasses!

Oops! I broke my glasses!

I have broken my glasses many times.

Sit means to be seated, to rest.

sit sitting sat (have) sat

The sultan sat on the flying carpet.

Set means to place, to put. Set is transitive.

set setting set (have) set

Elmer set his alarm clock for five A.M.

rise rising rose (have) risen

Rise means to move upward.

The sun rises.

The moon and the stars

rise in the evening.

Smoke has risen from

the fried computer.

The balloon rose into

the atmosphere.

raise raising raised (have) raised

Raise means to lift up, to force up. Raise is transitive.

Elmo is frustrated, so

he raised his voice.

We are raising

money for charity.

The official has raised

the checkered flag.

Elmo raised his grade

to an A!

To tell an untruth is a regular verb.

lie lying lied (have) lied

George Washington did not lie; he told his

father that he cut down the Cherry Tree.

Lie means to recline, to remain lying down.

lie lying lay (have) lain

The sick boy will lie in bed for one week.

The boy lay in bed all day yesterday.

The elephant is lying on the ground blowing bubbles.

He has lain on the ground all day.

The verb lay means to put down or to place

something. It is a transitive verb.

lay laying laid (have) laid

The books are being carefully laid on

the floor.

For our freedom, the soldiers in WWII

laid down their lives.

lay laying laid (have)

laid

lie lying lay (have) lain

Lie means to rest.

Lay means to put something down.